Mike Thompson: “I am both saddened and honored to rise today in memory of our friend Bob Matsui. We can barely glimpse a man's greatness…”

“I am both saddened and honored to rise today in memory of our friend Bob Matsui. We can barely glimpse a man's greatness in a single floor statement, but I will try. American heroes have customarily run toward towering figures of many words, but today, our Chamber and our Nation honors a man whose contribution was not the quantity and volume of words but, rather, the quality and the effectiveness of both his spirit and his skill. Many will speak from the floor tonight of the landmark, legislative achievements of this extraordinary man. Many more will honor his lifetime of legislative victories and how they directly improved the lives of millions of Americans spanning several generations. Single mothers with infants. Civil rights. Our Nation's most vulnerable seniors. Bob provided more than a voice for those who could not speak for themselves. He provided victory. He provided results. He won monumental battles, not by being the loudest but by being the smartest and the most informed person in the debate. This House has lost a rare statesman. Doris, Brian, Amy and Anna have lost a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. I have lost a mentor and my best friend in this Congress, and our Nation has lost a tireless, compassionate and brilliant leader.”